


Friends In Need

by txmedic37



Category: Castle
Genre: AU, F/M, Rare Pairings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-05
Updated: 2015-01-05
Packaged: 2018-03-05 13:57:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3122723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/txmedic37/pseuds/txmedic37
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post-Always AU.  Kate turns to Kevin for comfort after the events on the roof.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Friends In Need

**Author's Note:**

> The usual disclaimer applies. The show belongs to ABC, the characters to Andrew Marlowe. I basically wrote this to entertain myself and Firestar385, but had a request to post it. This is post-Always and obviously AU. For the purposes of this story, there is no Jenny. I didn't have an editor on this, so apologies in advance

FRIENDS IN NEED

 

By the time she had dumped her belongings off at her apartment and headed down the street to her favorite bar to drown her sorrows, Kate Beckett's anger was already receding. She'd screwed up. Gone rogue and risked her life, Javi's life and the landlord had been shot. She'd almost plummeted to her death. Kate shivered as the first few drops of an incoming rain storm blew in. She had almost died. And she had driven Castle away.

 

She hurried her steps, ducking into a small but friendly bar. After getting her first drink, Kate slid into a booth near the back and took a long pull, relishing the burn of the alcohol. She knew she'd been stupid to quit. Gates could get under her skin, the complete opposite of Captain Montgomery, and she'd been so angry. At herself, at Gates, at Castle. What a fucking mess.

 

In the time it took her to finished her drink, Kate had decided she wasn't up for drowning her sorrows. Alcohol wasn't going to solve anything, just compound her problems. No, she needed a place to think. Rain be damned.

 

So she ended up on the playground, gently swaying on her favorite swing, hands clutching the slippery chains and rainwater dripping from her hair. But it was peaceful. She could hear herself think, not that her _thoughts_ were peaceful. Castle was gone, she had quit, Espo was suspended...it suddenly occurred to Beckett that she hadn't yet spared a thought for Kevin. He'd saved her life and she hadn't bothered to wonder what the night's events had done to him.

 

With a sigh, Beckett pushed herself to her feet and walked to the nearest doorway. Shivering a little, she hunched her shoulders as she pulled her phone out and pressed a speed dial button. Kate was glad her phone hadn't yet suffered from the relentless rain.

 

“Hey, Beckett. Y'ok?”

 

The voice was rough, words a little slurred. She could picture him in her mind, slumped on the couch, angry and bitter. With a sigh of regret, Kate wiped rain from her face. “Espo, I'm so sorry I dragged you into this.”

 

“You didn't drag me into anythin'. Somebody had to have your back.” There was a pause as Esposito took a swallow of whatever bottle he was using to ease the pain. “Castle bailed on us, and Ryan ratted us out. The little Judas.”

 

A sudden surge of anger rushed through her at Espo's words. This wasn't Ryan's fault. “Espo we could both be dead right now, if Ryan hadn't gone to Gates. For certain, I would be. He was looking out for us.”

 

“He went behind our backs and ratted us out!”

 

There wasn't any point in trying to reason with her hard-headed partner. It was all on her, and she knew it. “Look, Espo, I don't want to fight. I'll check on you tomorrow when you've had a chance to sleep off your bender.”

 

“'Kay, Becks. See ya.”

 

“Night Espo.”

 

With another regretful sigh, Kate disconnected the call and tried another number. It rang long enough that she expected it to roll to voicemail, when the call was finally answered. “Beckett, you okay?”

 

She almost smiled because her boys were still in sync, even if they were currently at odds. Kevin's voice was quiet, with an odd quiver that she couldn't interpret. “I'm okay, Ryan. Thanks to you.”

 

“I didn't mean to get you guys in trouble, Kate.” The rare use of her given name let her know just how _much_ she had fucked things up. She heard Ryan take a deep, shaky breath. “I knew there would be consequences-I'm not stupid-but, I was desperate. Castle wouldn't answer his phone, and I didn't know what else to do.”

 

They had hurt him, making him stay behind and not listening to him when he tried to reason with them. Kate might not be able to do anything for Espo right now, but she could certainly help Ryan. “Ryan, I'm coming by your place. I don't blame you, but I don't want to do this over the phone.”

 

“Okay, sure. I'll uh...I'll meet you there.”

 

As she disconnected, Beckett wondered if Ryan had done what she initially had and found a bar to drown his sorrows. He'd certainly sounded sober. Wrapping her arms around her torso for warmth, Kate stepped out of the sheltering doorway and headed in the direction of Ryan's building, keeping an eye out for a taxi.

 

Luckily, she hadn't had to walk far before being able to flag down a cab. The driver had been nice enough to crank up the heat for her, so it was with a little reluctance that she paid her fare with a generous tip and stepped once more out into the rain. She pressed the button next to the brass plate bearing Ryan's name, and was quickly buzzed in.

 

It had been a long time since she had been to Ryan's apartment and had forgotten how slowly the ancient elevator crept up the levels. By the time it finally creaked to a stop on Ryan's floor, she was wishing she'd taken the stairs. Beckett was shivering once again when she knocked on her partner's door, but she didn't have to wait long.

 

The door swung open and Kate almost burst into tears right there in the hallway. Kevin's hair was wet, and hanging down over his eyes. He was in a pair of navy blue NYPD sweat pants, the matching sweatshirt clutched in one hand. He obviously hadn't been long out of the rain, with stray droplets running down his bare chest as they fell from his hair. But it was the raw guilt and pain burning in Ryan's sapphire eyes that was like a punch to Kate's gut.

 

She had done this. Her selfish pursuit of Maddox, heedless of any danger to anyone. Damn the consequences, justice at all cost. And Ryan stood there as a shining example of those consequences, freezing her in the doorway. She had hurt this man-the team's heart, its moral compass-and Kate was suddenly unsure how to fix that.

 

Ryan, seeing her pain, pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her in a comforting hug. “I was so worried. Gates told me you resigned.”

 

With a half-sob, Beckett stepped from his embrace so that he could shut the door. After flipping the deadbolt, Kevin slipped the sweatshirt over his head and tugged it into place. He gestured toward the bathroom as he disappeared toward his bedroom. “Why don't you take a hot shower to warm up, and I'll find some warm clothes for you.”

 

Hot water sounded heavenly. By the time the water was steaming, Kevin had delivered a folded pile of clothing for her. “Clean towels are under the sink. I'll make us some coffee.”

 

Kate flashed him a genuine smile at his ingrained hospitality. “Thanks, Kevin. I won't be long.”

 

Once the door shut behind Kevin as he left to fire up the coffee machine, Kate peeled out of her sodden clothing and stepped under the hot spray. Her chilled skin immediately tingled from the sudden change in temperature, making her sigh in relief. She didn't linger as long as she would have liked, since she was anxious to talk to her partner. As she was toweling her hair dry, Kate couldn't help smiling. Her hair now smelled of Kevin's shampoo and it was oddly comforting.

 

The pile of clothing turned out to be another pair of sweatpants, a long-sleeved Yankees t-shirt and an unopened package of boxers. Beckett laughed softly, glad that she had called Ryan. Nobody else would have made her feel so cared for, with no expectation of anything in return, nor understood her pain as well as Kevin Ryan. Once dressed, Kate rooted through the drawers until she found a brush. When she joined her partner in the kitchen, Kevin was pouring sugar-free vanilla creamer into her mug.

 

Picking up both cups, Kevin nodded toward the sofa. “Let's take a load off and warm up a little.”

 

Settling in next to her partner on the plush red couch, Beckett accepted the mug handed to her. She took a moment, as she blew gently at the piping hot coffee, to observe Ryan. He'd toweled his hair dry, but hadn't brushed it, and still shivered occasionally. He clearly hadn't had time for his own hot shower before she'd arrived on his doorstep. He carefully avoided catching her eye, twitching with pent-up nervous energy.

 

At the station, Ryan was always moving. Tapping a finger, swiveling in his chair, playing with a stress ball, jiggling a leg, tossing a baseball with Espo...dozens of little ways of releasing his obvious over-abundance of energy. But sitting next to her there on the sofa, he was trying to keep it in check. Only the occasional leg jiggle escaped his tight control.

 

With a small smile, Kate took a sip of her coffee and sighed internally at the welcome slide of warmth. Placing the cup on the coffee table, she took Kevin's from his anxious grip and let it sit next to hers. Catching Kevin's gaze, she forced those sapphire blue eyes to hold her stare.

 

“Kevin, there aren't enough words to explain how grateful I am that you were there on that roof today. That you brought backup with you, and that I didn't take you over that edge with me.” When Ryan started to shake his head, and opened his mouth to argue, she took his hands in hers. “No. You and I both know that's what would have happened, if you hadn't had those two officers grabbing your belt. I know you, Kevin. You would have tried to save me, and I would have killed us both.”

 

There was no use arguing with her on that score. They both knew she was right. “I'm sorry that I got you both in trouble.” Kevin squeezed her fingers and shot her an anguished look of pleading. “Please don't leave like this, Kate. Don't quit. You're letting Maddox win. If it's me, then I'll transfer out. I know I betrayed you guys, but-.”

 

Kate stood, cutting him off mid-sentence, and pulled Kevin to his feet. She wrapped her arms around her partner in a tight hug, resting her chin on his shoulder. “You did the right thing, Kevin. This is all on me, and I'm not ducking my responsibility. I was angry and stupid, and I'll rescind my resignation tomorrow.”

 

His arms tightened around her torso, and she found herself once again surprised by the strength hidden under the suits he wore to work. He pressed his still-cold nose into the warmth of her neck and a sigh ruffled her hair.

 

“I'm so glad, Kate. Castle's gone, Javi hates me now...if you'd quit, too, I'd be all alone.”

 

Beckett pushed him back so that she could meet those piercing blue eyes. “Kevin, Espo will get over it. He's just angry, mostly at himself, and taking it out on you. He doesn't hate you. I promise.”

 

The look that flashed across the Irishman's face made her smile sadly. “Oh, Kevin. Were you ever going to tell him?”

 

“Yes. No.” Kevin sighed and dropped back down onto the sofa, burying his face in his palms. “I don't know. It's too late, now, anyway.”

 

Pleased that he at least had respected her enough to not deny what she had meant, Kate sat next to him and wrapped an arm around his hunched shoulders. “It's not too late, Kevin. Just give him time to get over the suspension. Then I think you really need to come clean with him.”

 

When he lowered his hands and turned to look at her, hope warring with despair in his expressive face, Beckett took a moment to appreciate how blue his eyes were. She's noticed before, but not really _noticed._ Kevin was such a sweetheart, and certainly easy on the eyes. Though each of them held a torch for someone else, she so desperately wanted comfort right in that moment. With someone she would be safe with, someone who cared for her and wouldn't expect anything beyond that night.

 

Staring into those ice blue eyes, Kate closed the distance between them and pressed her lips to his. After a few surprised seconds, she felt her partner respond. The kiss was fairly short, but kind of hot and needy. Kevin took a quick breath and his brows drew together in a worried frown.

 

“But what about Castle?”

 

“Castle isn't here, Kevin.” Beckett slid her hand under the sweatshirt and felt his abs twitch at the unexpected touch. “We're here. We will all live to fight another day, thanks to you. I just want to feel alive. No strings attached.”

 

She watched as those eyes closed when her thumb rubbed over his left nipple, and knew he felt the same need. He nodded and opened his eyes once more. “Comfort sex, then? I can do that, as long as it won't hurt you.”

 

Kate slid her hand out from under the sweatshirt and cupped his sharp cheekbone instead. She knew it was her emotional well-being he was concerned with. “Being with you could never hurt me.”

 

After another searing kiss Kevin pulled back and closed his eyes, leaning his forehead against hers. “Okay. But you'll tell me to stop if it feels wrong at any time, right?”

 

With a soft smile, Kate pushed his bangs back out of his eyes. “I promise. Bedroom?”

 

Kevin stood and took her hand, pulling her to her feet and leading her down the short hallway to his bedroom. It was surprisingly neat, though the pants leg peeking out from under the bed suggested perhaps it wasn't always so and Kevin had kicked everything under the bed in his rush. The two of them calmly stripping next to the bed wasn't as awkward as she would have suspected. She took a moment to admire the view, once her partner kicked his boxers off to the side. She ran her hands over Kevin's wide shoulders, down strong biceps and felt the hairs on his arms standing up at the sensation.

 

Smiling encouragingly, Kate stepped close and once again pulled him into her embrace. His long-fingered hands slid up the narrow planes of her back and this kiss was more passionate than the others. More desperate. They had nearly lost so _much_ that night. May still have lost more than either wanted to face. Her breasts rubbed against the solid muscles of Kevin's chest and she felt the familiar tingle inside, anticipating the passion to come.

 

She slid her hand down his side, over a narrow hip and finally between them to the hardness that had been pressing against her own pelvis. As she squeezed and slid her hand over the length of him, she huffed out a surprised laugh. Breaking the kiss, Kevin chuckled and held up his hands.

 

“You know what they say. Big hands, big...you know.”

 

“Apparently so.” Still smiling, Kate let him go and pushed back the covers to slide into bed.

 

Crawling in beside her, Kevin ran one of those big hands over her breasts and teased the nipples. “Supposedly, a man's penis is the same length as the distance between his thumb and forefinger.”

 

Thankfully her trivia-loving partner found another use for his mouth, and Kate arched against the heat working her nipples into sensitive hard nubs. He also found another, better use for those long fingers. Long _talented_ fingers. And holy _crap_ how had anyone ever broken up with this man? She pulled on his shoulders, fingers digging into the muscles that flexed under her grasp, and gasped out, “Bi?”

 

Lifting his head from her breast, face flushed and eyes flashing, Kevin smirked knowingly. “Thought you had that figured already.”

 

“Let's just say you have more than confirmed my suspicions.” Kate reached out to grab his hand and still the movement of those talented fingers. “Do you have protection?”

 

“Besides my Glock?”

 

Kevin chuckled at her murderous expression and braced his arms on either side of her. He leaned down and shared another passionate kiss, tongues pressing and relenting, the precum from his erection sliding against her thigh. Breaking off the kiss, breathing a little heavily, Kevin nodded. He rolled off and leaned over to reach into his nightstand drawer. He ripped open the foil square and pulled out the condom, tossing the empty packet back into the drawer.

 

Kate sat up and took the condom from him, rolling it down over his erection. She did it slowly, squeezing and caressing, letting the necessary precaution become just another act of their love-making. When she was finished, she looked up to find Kevin breathing heavily and staring at her with dilated pupils. Knowing she had pushed him a little too closely to orgasm, Kate pressed him to lay back and lifted a leg over his hip to straddle his waist. This would last longer if she took control.

 

She used one hand to guide his erection to her center and pressed down, sighing and closing her eyes at the delicious sensation of being stretched and filled as she sank down to rest on his pelvis. It really had been...a while...since she last had sex. Kate took a moment to enjoy the pleasure jolting through her as large hands slid up to grip her hips tightly, Kevin arching his hips to press just that much deeper. This really wouldn't last very long. Though, if she worked it just right, she might be able to get two orgasms before Kevin had his.

 

Leaning down to catch Kevin's lips with her own, Kate braced her hands next to his shoulders on the mattress and lifted her hips. When she pressed back down, she undulated her hips a little so that she rubbed her clit against her partner's pelvic cradle. Kevin's hands slid down her back to grip the rounded, firm cheeks of her ass as he tried to unconsciously alter her rhythm. Kate was having none of it, throwing her head back and moaning a little with the pleasure she was taking from him. Perspiration trickled down her back as she rode him, chasing her orgasm.

 

Her eyes slid closed as she concentrated and she gasped desperately as the orgasm finally hit her, her muscles clenching with the strength of it. She continued to ride him as it washed over her, then let her arms collapse so that she was resting on his chest. When her breathing was finally under control, she felt Kevin's hands once more tighten on her waist then he was rolling them over. He wiped her sweat-soaked hair from her face and grinned.

 

“My turn.”

 

Her huff of laughter broke off into a moan of pleasure as he braced himself and set a steady, deep rhythm. Kate unconsciously brought her knees up, spreading her legs wider and resting her feet on his thighs. She slid her hands down his sides, making him lose his rhythm briefly from the ticklish sensation, until she was cupping his ass. She felt the muscles flex and relax with his thrusts, then gripped and pulled him deeper.

 

Her second orgasm was coming faster than she'd thought it would. Kate let her right hand slide up and down Kevin's back, gathering a little of the moisture coating the firm muscles, then ran her hand back to the crevice of his ass. She slid her fingers down further until she was pressing at his entrance, smirking inwardly at the sudden needy moan her partner made at the sensation. She was fairly certain she could make him come when she did.

 

Looking up into the lust-blown blue eyes of her partner, Kate pressed her ring finger into Kevin's ass. When he didn't protest, she set up a rhythm to match his thrusting. She was so close, and from the look of desperation on her partner's face Kevin wasn't far either.

 

“God, Kate.” Kevin lowered his head to press his face to her collar bone. “So close, so close.”

 

Sliding her middle finger in next to her ring finger, Kate pressed deeply and reveled at the groan of pleasure she pulled from Kevin. It only took a few more moments of him fucking her and she finger-fucking him until Kevin was tensing and thrusting with a broken rhythm, and they both cried out their release.

 

Kevin braced himself with knees and elbows as the two panted and rode out the waves of orgasm. Once he was sure he could move without collapsing on top of Kate, he pulled gently out of her and rolled off to the side to catch his breath. “Wow.”

 

He could feel her shoulders shake as Kate laughed. “Wow is right.” She turned onto her side and braced herself up on her elbow so that she could smile down at him. She ran her hand over his sweat-slick chest. “So, bottom then?”

 

Laughing, Kevin sat up and stood to make his way to the bathroom to dispose of the condom. He smirked at her over his shoulder. “Yes, smarty-pants.”

 

Her laughter followed him into the bathroom as he removed the condom, tied off the end and tossed it into the trashcan by the toilet. He wet a washcloth and wrung it out, using it to wipe off some of the sweat then clean his softening erection. He stuffed the damp cloth into the laundry hamper then wet a second, which he took back to the bed for Kate.

 

As he crawled in next to her, he ran the cool cloth over her hot moist skin and smiled at her sigh of contentment. Once finished, he balled it up and lobbed it through the open door of the restroom. Pulling up the duvet, he settled in next to Kate and wrapped his arm around her narrow shoulders. They were both drowsy as they came down from their post-orgasmic high. Not only from the exertion of sex, but from the emotion-fueled day.

 

Kate rested her head on Kevin's chest, sliding her arm across his narrow waist, and listened to the comforting thumping of his heart. When she sighed deeply at the mess she'd made of everything, she felt Kevin's arm tighten around her and the rumble of his voice deep in his chest.

 

“Call him, Kate.”

 

“He left. He made it very clear that he was finished.”

 

Her partner's chest rose and fell on a sigh and he forced her to lift her head to look at him. His cerulean eyes were intense as he held her gaze. “He didn't want to watch you die, Kate. That's the only reason he left. He couldn't watch you die, and he hoped it would force you to _live_.”

 

She watched Kevin's Adam's Apple bob up and down as he swallowed, and moisture suddenly pooled in those bright eyes. “It's why I went to Gates, even though I knew I would be hated for it. I couldn't watch you and Javi die, either. Castle and I both knew you guys were in over your heads. Neither of us wanted to lose the people we love. The only difference was that I had an official route I could take to make sure you didn't get yourselves killed.”

 

The intensity of his emotions hit her like a blow and her own eyes filled with tears. She wiped them and smiled tenderly at her partner. He was such a good man. She reached down to brush his bangs off of his forehead and sighed. “I'll make you a deal, Kev. I'll go make it right with Castle, if you'll tell Espo how you feel.”

 

Sadness swept across Kevin's narrow face and he tightened his hold on her reflexively. “Espo wouldn't even speak to me as his partner, Kate. I doubt he'd be receptive to any declarations of love.”

 

Conceding that the timing sucked, she ran her thumb over one sharp cheekbone. “Give him time. When we come back from suspension, when he gets over his snit...tell him.”

 

“I think it's hopeless, but I promise. If Javi doesn't have me transferred out, if he can stand to be in the same room with me, I'll tell him how I feel.”

 

Kate leaned down to kiss her partner tenderly, then rested her ear once more over his heart. She knew that her part of the bargain would be much easier than Kevin's. She knew her younger partner was right, and that Castle had only left because he couldn't watch her self-destruct. As soon as she had a quick cat-nap, she would head over to the loft. A sincere apology and a heated kiss should be enough to put her back into Rick's good graces. That she had that chance, was only because of the courage of the man beneath her.

 

Hopefully, she could make things right for Kevin. He'd earned it.

 

END

 

 


End file.
